


Living Flame

by Sintharius



Category: Warframe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 06:34:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18654910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sintharius/pseuds/Sintharius
Summary: She did not think it would end up this way.But it did.





	Living Flame

**Author's Note:**

> For Quillu. Enjoy~

It’s cold.

The Zariman Ten-Zero’s halls were empty, its systems sabotaged as the ship drifted endlessly.

The adults – dead, driven to madness and killed by their own children – gone, their bodies stashed in various empty rooms in the craft.

The children – bodies burning with uncontrollable Void powers and minds tainted with the Void – were all that remained.

They sang, little voices echoing in the empty space as the shadows of death lurked around the corners.

And the Void whispered back.

***

The platoon of Dax soldiers, originally sent to investigate the strange signature in the Void, came back. With the Zariman Ten-Zero in tow.

Scans showed life signs… and strange Void energy signatures.

Kaleen had thought nothing would survive the Void. But at the reports given to her by the Orokin, she had insisted on permission to do the inspection of the lost ship herself. She was one of the best inspectors they have – and there was no greater honor than being able to work on a legendary case like this.

Now, backed by a squad, she was to check the interior of the ship, retrieve survivors and eliminate any threat if necessary.

The first thing she noticed upon stepping inside the ship was the oddly cold atmosphere. A strange metallic smell permeated the air within, as if the ship has not been taken care of for a very long, long time.

According to Dax reports, the Zariman was found drifting in the Void with its systems online. As if it has never left. The deafening silence and stale air told them otherwise, however.

Small footsteps. A shadow darted in the corner of her eyes.

“Hello? Is anybody there?”

Another shadow shifted. She followed it, with the Dax close on her heels.

They came to a halt in front of a cabin, its door closed. The soldiers silently took up positions.

This time, when she knocked, a small voice answered her. A girl. “…Who are you?”

“My name is Kaleen.” She placed a hand on the door, hoping that the girl would trust her. The Orokin wanted her to investigate what became of the Zariman Ten-Zero crew, and the ship’s survivors would be her best chance. “What is your name?”

“…Amari.” She could hear the fear, the _desperation_ in the girl’s voice. And the quiet sobs within the room.

Her heart ached at the prospect of helping a child – she had done many cases in her lifetime, but helping children was something she had sworn to do, until the end of her days.

“Amari. I can help you, but you need to open this door. Okay?”

“No! I… I can’t.”

She stopped short.

“Why not? Tell me.”

“He’s… he’s out there.” Silence. “Talking to us.”

Kaleen gave the area around her a once over. Other than herself and the Dax soldiers accompanying her, there was nothing.

She racked her brain for the effects of Void exposure on human bodies. There was a lot of detailed research, which generally resulted in insanity – but only on adults, with none on children. She was in unknown territory.

If this… individual was a product of the mental instability brought on by Void exposure, the children will need help. “There is no one here, Amari. You are safe now.”

More quiet sobbings. “It burns. It hurts, Miss Kaleen…”

“Honey, I need you to stay calm so we can help you, alright?” She motioned to the door, and a Dax started working on a hacking module to open the door. “I’m here, everything will be fine.”

No response. She could only silently urge the soldier to work faster.

Only a few minutes had passed, but it felt like an eternity before the hacking module turned green. Kaleen stood up. “I’m going to come in, if it’s okay.” The soldiers closed in around her, ready to shield her from any threat.

The soldier pressed a button on the panel.

The door slid open with a quiet ping.

Kaleen saw a little girl, who could have not been older than thirteen, huddled within the room. A strong burned metal smell wafted from within.

_What could have caused such a smell?_

The girl’s eyes widened with relief when she saw the inspector-

-Only for a Dax soldier to shoot her. With a tranquilizer dart.

She stumbled back to the wall before slumping, unconscious.

Kaleen could only sigh as the soldier hoisted the sleeping child into his arms, and motioned for the rest of the squad to continue the search. They can always get answers out of the girl later, once she had received medical attention.

***

Whispers.

_Give in, child. Embrace your power._

Her mommy and daddy are gone.

_Kiddo. Why do you resist?_

_You owe me, kiddo. Remember that._

What are you?

***

Clinking sounds, like glass. A hissing noise of a door being opened.

More voices. Not of the strange… thing… that spoke to her in the Void. They sounded… normal. Like those people that found her-

“How is she?”

That woman.

Something bubbled within her – anger. The woman got her to come out so those soldiers can shoot her! Where was mommy? Daddy? A bad person is coming for her!

“She is stable, Inspector. However, we are detecting strange energy readings that are normally only seen in the Void. Our best hypothesis is that long term exposure to the Void changed the children… but how? Only time will tell.”

She stirred, before opening her eyes. People – she recognized the woman on the ship, as well as another woman with strange metallic weavings on her skin that ended at nodes on her hands and temples – ran to her bedside.

“Amari! I am glad to see that you are awake. How are you feeling?”

The moment the Inspector touched her hand, she _screamed._

Fire.

Burning heat burst forth from her hand as she tried to shove the Inspector away. It was the woman’s turn to scream as her face took the full brunt of the searing heat, the girl’s rage made manifest by the Void powers within her. She stumbled back towards the door of the quarantine room, holding her face as tears streamed down her burned cheek.

The girl was sobbing, her hand glowed with Void energy as she searched for another target-

A sting in her neck before Amari collapsed again into unconsciousness, Void powers fading. The Lorist, in the midst of confusion and panic, had quickly tranquilized the little girl to stop her. The damage was done, however; half of the Inspector’s face was burnt and disfigured, as if someone had taken a blowtorch straight to her face. And given the readings from the strange powers the girl exhibited, the Lorist wondered if it wasn’t too far of a comparison.

Right now, she had another patient to attend to.

“Inspector. Focus.” She held out her hands and channeled her powers through the Lora nodes within her palms, letting the healing energy flow over the Inspector. She can stop the pain and prevent further damage, but surgery will be needed to repair the damaged skin and eye. “How do you feel?”

“…I made a mistake.” The Inspector hung her head. “I should have not let the Void-damned Dax shoot her, even with the tranquilizer. She was lashing out… and this was the result.”

“She’s just a child.”

“A scared child without her parents and with Void knows what on that ship!” She turned away, seemingly in shame. “…I will report this to the Seven. They have the final say on what will happen with the children. Take care of her until then… and speak of this to no one.”

“Yes milady.”

***

_Kaleen bowed her head, a tear welling in her sightless eye. 'They were children. They were afraid. They needed comfort.'_

_'So you broke quarantine and this happened to you.'_

_There was silence as Kaleen touched her face, 'So what have you done with them?'_

_The old woman gestured for the officer to take Kaleen away. The meeting was over. When Kaleen reached the door she twisted out of his grip and shot back, 'Why would you do that? Why did you put children on a military ship?'_

_'We didn't. That would violate procedure.'_

**Author's Note:**

> Visit me on Tumblr: https://sintharius.tumblr.com


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